Solbiate Olona, 31st January 2018. Today, on the centenary of his death, the inauguration ceremony of a permanent exhibition dedicated to Second Lieutenant “Ugo MARA” took place. The exhibition has been inaugurated following the donation by Ugo MARA’s descendants of artworks inspired by the life and sacrifice of their ancestor, a recipient of the Silver Medal of Military Valour. The collection will now be located in the Officers’ Club of the military base.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Lieutenant General Roberto PERRETTI, the mayor of Busto Arsizio, Dr. Emanuele ANTONELLI, the mayor of Solbiate Olona, Luigi MELIS, Dr. Paolo MARA and other members of the family, together with numerous representatives of veterans' and ex-service organizations.
All were reminded of the heroism and sacrifice of this young Officer during the First World War by Dr. Paolo MARA who read old documents and explained the personal reasons leading to the donation: to provide inspiration for young patriots.
Thanking Dr. MARA and the other numerous representatives of the family, General PERRETTI wanted to emphasise the deep meaning of the definition of a heroic act of a Soldier, which consists of consciously putting life at risk, beyond duty, for the defence of the Country. Handing down the memory of heroes means to pass on the values of honour and military duty to future generations, and not to let their deeds fall into oblivion.
Ugo MARA was born in Busto Arsizio on 7 August 1895, at the outbreak of the First World War, he enrolled voluntarily and was framed with the rank of Sergeant in the 50th artillery campaign regiment. At the beginning of 1917 he attended the course of the Official Complementary Officers at the end of which he was assigned to the 30th artillery campaign regiment. On January 28, 1918, under the command of a patrol of connection with the infantry units involved in the conquest of Col d'Echele, a machine gun bullet wounded him. He died on January 31st. The body was transferred to Busto Arsizio in 1921. The Commander of the Regiment, in communicating its glorious death to his own unit, entitled to the Ten. Ugo Mara the 4th battery in which he had served. Already decorated with a bronze medal for military valour, he was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valour for his memory.